Mississippi Watershed Research Articles

Assessing the impacts of climate change and tillage practices on stream flow, crop and sediment yields from the Mississippi River Basin

This study evaluated climate change impacts on stream flow, crop and sediment yields from three different tillage systems (conventional, reduced 1–close to conservation, and reduced 2–close to no-till), in the Big Sunflower River Watershed (BSRW) in Mississippi. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was applied to the BSRW using observed stream flow and crop yields data. The model was calibrated and validated successfully using monthly stream flow data (2001–2011).The model performances showed the regression coefficient (R2) from 0.72 to 0.82 and Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency index (NSE) from 0.70 to 0.81 for streamflow; R2 from 0.40 to 0.50 and NSE from 0.72 to 0.86 for corn yields; and R2 from 0.43 to 0.59 and NSE from 0.48 to 0.57 for soybeans yields. The Long Ashton Research Station Weather Generator (LARS-WG), was used to generate future climate scenarios. The SRES (Special Report on Emissions Scenarios) A1B, A2, and B1 climate change scenarios of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) were simulated for the mid (2046–2065) and late (2080–2099) century. Model outputs showed slight differences among tillage practices for corn and soybean yields. However, model simulated sediment yield results indicated a large difference among the tillage practices from the corn and soybean crop fields. The simulated future average maximum temperature showed as high as 4.8°C increase in the BSRW. Monthly precipitation patterns will remain un-changed based on simulated future climate scenarios except for an increase in the frequency of extreme rainfall events occurring in the watershed. On average, the effect of climate change and tillage practice together did not show notable changes to the future crop yields. The reduced tillage 2 practices showed the highest responses of erosion control to climate change followed by the reduced tillage 1 and conventional tillage in this study.

Detection of Lead (Pb) in Three Environmental Matrices of the Cache River Watershed, Arkansas.

Water bodies contaminated with lead (Pb) represent a considerable threat to both human and environmental health. The Cache River, located in northeastern Arkansas has been listed as impaired on the 303(d) list due to Pb contamination. However, historical data for the watershed is limited in both sampled waterways and analyses performed. This study measures concentrations of Pb in three environmental matrices of the Cache River Watershed; dissolved in the water column, total Pb (dissolved+particulate), and sediment-bound Pb. A variety of waterways were sampled including main channel and tributary sites. Frequency of detection and mean concentrations were compared to values for the entire Lower Mississippi Watershed. In general, no significant differences were found for the CRW when compared to the LMRW, with the exception of total Pb which was detected more frequently but at lower concentrations in the CRW than in the LMRW, and sediment Pb, which was detected at a significantly lower frequency in the CRW than the LMRW.

Soil pipe flow tracer experiments: 2. Application of a streamflow transient storage zone model

AbstractSoil pipes are important subsurface flow pathways in many soil erosion phenomena. However, limited research has been performed on quantifying and characterizing their flow and transport characteristics. The objectives of this research were to determine the applicability of a streamflow model with transient storage in deriving flow and transport characteristics of soil pipes. Tracer data from pulse inputs were collected in four different soil pipes after a fluorescein dye was injected in the upstream end of each soil pipe network in three branches (west, middle, and east) of a main catchment and a back catchment in Goodwin Creek Experimental Watershed in Mississippi. Multiple sampling stations were positioned along each soil pipe network. The transient storage zone model OTIS‐P was executed inversely to estimate transport parameters by soil pipe reach such as the soil pipe cross‐sectional area (A), soil storage zone cross‐sectional area (As), and exchange rate between the soil pipe and the soil storage zone (αs). Model convergence was achieved, and simulated breakthrough curves of the reaches were in good agreement with actual tracer data for eight of the nine reaches of the three branches of the Main Catchment and five of the seven reaches of the Back Catchment soil pipe. Simulation parameters for the soil pipe networks were similar to the range of values reported for flow and transport characteristics commonly observed in streams. Inversely, estimated soil pipe flow velocities were higher with increased tortuosity, which led to a smaller cross‐sectional areas predicted for the soil pipe flowpaths, while other parameters were not sensitive to tortuosity. In general, application of One‐Dimensional Transport with Inflow and Storage‐P to this unique soil pipe condition suggested larger transient storage (As and αs) compared with most stream systems. This was hypothesized to be because of relatively higher ratio of the wetted perimeter to flow area in the soil pipe, the hydraulic roughness of the soil pipe, potential retention in collapsed portions of the pipe, and interaction with smaller preferential flow systems. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Large-scale hydrological modeling for calculating water stress indices: implications of improved spatiotemporal resolution, surface-groundwater differentiation, and uncertainty characterization.

Physical water scarcities can be described by water stress indices. These are often determined at an annual scale and a watershed level; however, such scales mask seasonal fluctuations and spatial heterogeneity within a watershed. In order to account for this level of detail, first and foremost, water availability estimates must be improved and refined. State-of-the-art global hydrological models such as WaterGAP and UNH/GRDC have previously been unable to reliably reflect water availability at the subbasin scale. In this study, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was tested as an alternative to global models, using the case study of the Mississippi watershed. While SWAT clearly outperformed the global models at the scale of a large watershed, it was judged to be unsuitable for global scale simulations due to the high calibration efforts required. The results obtained in this study show that global assessments miss out on key aspects related to upstream/downstream relations and monthly fluctuations, which are important both for the characterization of water scarcity in the Mississippi watershed and for water footprints. Especially in arid regions, where scarcity is high, these models provide unsatisfying results.

Assessing Climate Variability Impact on Thermotolerant Coliform Bacteria in Surface Water

ABSTRACTThis study investigated the impacts of climate variability on thermotolerant coliform bacteria (TCB) transport in the Upper Pearl River watershed (UPRW) in Mississippi. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was applied using daily observed stream flows and TCB concentration data. The SWAT model was successfully calibrated and validated using both manual and automatic methods from February 2011 to June 2012 (NSE and R2 up to 0.79). The Long Ashton Research Station Weather Generator (LARS-WG), a stochastic weather generator, with the global climate model, CCSM3, which was developed by the U.S. National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) was used for future climate variability simulations. The Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES) A1B of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was simulated for the mid (2046–2065) and late (2080–2099) 21st century. The SWAT model simulated TCB concentrations in surface water and demonstrated reasonable performances (R2 up to 0.59 and NSE up to 0.58). During mid-century climate, average monthly TCB levels increase to 175%, while late-century average monthly TCB levels increase to 297% from the watershed. Although late-century climate variability impacts were determined more critical than mid-century climate impacts, appropriate watershed management practices are required to adapt to maintain and improve water quality.

Impacts of Reservoir Outflow Estimation Methods in SWAT Model Calibration

<abstract> <bold><sc>Abstract.</sc></bold> The purpose of this article is to identify how the performance of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) in predicting downstream flow is affected by using different reservoir outflow estimation methods in model calibration. This study was conducted within the Grenada Reservoir watershed (4,500 km²) in Mississippi. The SWAT model was calibrated and validated using long-term measured streamflow and reservoir outflow data. The performance of the SWAT model was evaluated using four statistics: the coefficient of determination (R²), the Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), the percent bias (PBIAS), and the ratio of the root mean square error to the observation standard deviation (RSR). Based on the calibrated parameters, the impacts of the reservoir outflow estimation methods were evaluated at the watershed outlet, which is located below the Grenada Reservoir. According to the statistical analysis, the measured daily flow, the measured monthly flow, and the specific target release methods showed satisfactory results for downstream flow for both daily and monthly time steps, whereas the non-specific target release method showed unsatisfactory results. These results indicate that proper selection of the reservoir outflow approach in SWAT is important to accurately simulate the streamflow regulated by reservoirs. The results from our study can provide useful information for applying the SWAT model to watersheds that include flood-control reservoirs.

Evaluating Spatial and Temporal Variability of Fecal Coliform Bacteria Loads at the Pelahatchie Watershed in Mississippi

ABSTRACT Bacterial contaminations of surface waters are an increasing concern for scientists and public health agencies because pathogenic bacteria can cause adverse effects on human health. This research was performed to investigate spatial and seasonal variability of fecal coliform bacteria (FCB) concentrations in the Pelahatchie watershed (527 km2) in Mississippi, USA. Livestock manure, poultry litter, and effluent from failing septic systems were identified as major sources of FCB in the Pelahatchie watershed. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT)/microbial sub-model was applied, and model-simulated FCB concentrations were compared with the monthly measured FCB concentrations (years 2001–2008) at the outlet of the watershed. New methodologies were introduced to incorporate bacteria loads into the bacteria model. Results showed coefficients of determination (R 2) of 0.71 to 0.75, and Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency index (NSE) of 0.67 to 0.75 during the bacteria model's calibration and validation periods, respectively. Seasonal analysis of the model-simulated results determined the highest bacteria concentrations in January, whereas the lowest concentrations were simulated in June. Furthermore, the FCB contributions to the watershed outlet from the sources of contamination varied with time of year. This study will help watershed managers to implement best management practices for improvement of water quality.

Impacts of climate variability on water quality with best management practices in sub‐tropical climate of USA

AbstractEfficiency of non‐point source pollution control methods may be altered in future climate. This study investigated climate change impacts on sediment and nutrient transport, and efficiency of best management practices (BMPs), in the Upper Pearl River Watershed (UPRW) in Mississippi. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool was applied to the UPRW using observed flow, sediment and nutrient data. Water quality samples were collected at three US geological survey gauging stations. The model was successfully calibrated and validated for daily time steps (Nash Sutcliffe efficiency and coefficient of determination – R2 up to 0.7) using manual and automatic (sequential uncertainty fitting version 2) methods from February 2010 to May 2011. Future weather scenarios were simulated using the LARS‐WG model, a stochastic weather generator, with Community Climate System Model, global climate model, which was developed by the National Center for Atmospheric Research in the USA. On the basis of the Special Report on Emissions Scenarios A1B, A2 and B1 of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, climate change scenarios were simulated for the mid (2046–2065) and late (2080–2099) century. Effectiveness of four BMPs (Riparian buffer, stream fencing, sub‐surface manure applications and vegetative filter strips) on reducing sediment and nutrient were evaluated in current and future climate conditions. Results show that sediment, nitrogen and phosphorus loadings will be increased up to a maximum of 26.3%, 7.3% and 14.3%, respectively, in future climate conditions. Furthermore, the effectiveness of BMPs on sediment removal will be reduced in future climate conditions, and the efficiency of nitrogen removal will be increased, whereas phosphorus removal efficiency will remain unchanged. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

A top-down model to generate ensembles of runoff from a large number of hillslopes

Abstract. We hypothesize that total hillslope water loss for a rainfall–runoff event is inversely related to a function of a lognormal random variable, based on basin- and point-scale observations taken from the 21 km2 Goodwin Creek Experimental Watershed (GCEW) in Mississippi, USA. A top-down approach is used to develop a new runoff generation model both to test our physical-statistical hypothesis and to provide a method of generating ensembles of runoff from a large number of hillslopes in a basin. The model is based on the assumption that the probability distributions of a runoff/loss ratio have a space–time rescaling property. We test this assumption using streamflow and rainfall data from GCEW. For over 100 rainfall–runoff events, we find that the spatial probability distributions of a runoff/loss ratio can be rescaled to a new distribution that is common to all events. We interpret random within-event differences in runoff/loss ratios in the model to arise from soil moisture spatial variability. Observations of water loss during events in GCEW support this interpretation. Our model preserves water balance in a mean statistical sense and supports our hypothesis. As an example, we use the model to generate ensembles of runoff at a large number of hillslopes for a rainfall–runoff event in GCEW.

Estimating Net Anthropogenic Nitrogen Inputs to U.S. Watersheds: Comparison of Methodologies

The net anthropogenic nitrogen input (NANI) approach is a simple quasi-mass-balance that estimates the human-induced nitrogen inputs to a watershed. Across a wide range of watersheds, NANI has been shown to be a good predictor of riverine nitrogen export. In this paper, we review various methodologies proposed for NANI estimation since its first introduction and evaluate alternative calculations suggested by previous literature. Our work is the first study in which a consistent NANI calculation method is applied across the U.S. watersheds and tested against available riverine N flux estimates. Among the tested methodologies, yield-based estimation of agricultural N fixation (instead of crop area-based) made the largest difference, especially in some Mississippi watersheds where the tile drainage was a significant factor reducing watershed N retention. Across the U.S. watersheds, NANI was particularly sensitive to farm N fertilizer application, cattle N consumption, N fixation by soybeans and alfalfa, and N yield by corn, soybeans, and pasture, although their relative importance varied among different regions.

Quantifying Hydrologic and Water Quality Responses to Bioenergy Crops in Town Creek Watershed in Mississippi

Bioenergy crops are considered as a feedstock source, which can be grown in marginal soils. However, these crops may have different levels of crop yield potential and environmental benefits. The objectives of this study were to model and compare the effects of four bioenergy crops (corn—Zea mays, soybean—Glycine max (L.) Merr., miscanthus—Miscanthus-giganteus, and switchgrass—Panicum virgatum) in the Town Creek watershed (TCW) in northeast Mississippi using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model. The calibrated SWAT model for TCW was used to quantify impacts to streamflow, crop yield, and sediment yield. The SWAT model reasonably (3·s-1) from the TCW when compared with the USGS observed stream flow (29.34 m3·s-1. In addition, model reasonably predicted (±6%) average annual corn yield (4.66 Mg·ha-1) and soybean yield (1.42 Mg·ha-1) as compared to National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) reported average annual corn (4.96 Mg·ha-1) and soybean yield (1.34 Mg·ha-1) from the watershed. Further, the model simulated results from this study determined that long-term average annual feedstock yield from TCW is the greatest when growing miscanthus grass (817,732 Mg) followed by switchgrass (477,317 Mg), corn (236,132 Mg), and soybeans (65,235 Mg). The SWAT model predicted the greatest annual average sediment yield (6.62 Mg·ha-1) from continuous corn crop scenario while the perennial grasses (switchgrass and miscanthus) had the lowest sediment yield (2.91 Mg·ha-1 and 3.20 Mg·ha-1 respectively). Overall, producing a perennial grass in the TCW would provide the largest biomass feedstock source with the least environmental impact. The results of this study will help to <span lang=EN-US style=font-family:Verdana

Evaluation of Soil Organic Carbon and Soil Moisture Content from Agricultural Fields in Mississippi

Independent observation of the effects of agricultural management practices on soil organic carbon (SOC) with soil moisture content (SMC) is essential to quantify their potential relationships for sustainable ecosystems. Soil water retention studies and soil carbon stocks have been mapped in some areas worldwide. However, few studies have been conducted in the southeastern US, particularly in Mississippi. The objectives of this research study were to collect soil samples from fields chosen to be representative of the watersheds they are contained within, analyze the soil samples for carbon content and soil moisture content, and evaluate the relationship between SOC and different parameters (land use, vertical distribution, temporal distribution, and soil moisture content). Field sites were chosen based on their compositional similarity shared with the watershed as a whole in the Town Creek watershed (TCW) and Upper Pearl River watershed (UPRW) in Mississippi. Monthly soil samples from different depths (6 inch, 12 inch, and 24 inch) were collected from crop, pasture, and forest field areas. Soil samples were analyzed using bench analysis, elemental analysis, and statistical analysis. This study was able to demonstrate the SOC distribution in the soil layers across all three land uses studied. It was also shown that there does seem to be an interactive effect of parameters such as land use type, vertical distribution, and time on carbon accretion within the soil. Results of this study also determined that the near surface (6-in) layer was found to contain significantly more carbon than either the 12 inch or 24 inch layers (p 0.01) across all field types. There was found to be a high degree of variability within the soil moisture data and correlation between SOC and SMC. It was found that carbon amount is not influenced by SMC but SMC could be influenced by SOC.

Evaluation of spatial variability on hydrology and nutrient source loads at watershed scale using a modeling approach

Understanding the effects of spatial variability on hydrologic parameters and nutrient source load distribution is essential to develop water quality improvement programs. The objective of this research was to evaluate spatially distributed hydrologic variability, nutrient sources, and their loadings at the watershed scale using a modeling approach. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was applied to assess spatial variability of annual average water, sediment, total phosphorus (TP), and total nitrogen (TN) yields from the Upper Pearl River Watershed (UPRW) in Mississippi, USA. The SWAT model was successfully calibrated, validated, and verified with good model efficiency (R2 = 0.70 and E = 0.59) using monthly measured stream flow, daily observed flow, sediment, TP, and TN yields. The SWAT model results determined that spatial variability of annual average pollutant loads of water yield ranged from 877 to 206 mm, sediment yield ranged from 1.71 to 0.17 t ha−1, TP ranged from 1.39 to 0.02 kg ha−1, and TN ranged from 10.22 to 0.69 kg ha−1 in the watershed sub-basins. Understanding of the spatial variability of hydrologic and nutrient source loads distribution helps watershed managers focus their management efforts to the most needy watershed sub-basins.

Faulkner and the Outer Weather of 1927

That day she put our heads together, Fate had her imagination about her, Your head so much concerned with outer, Mine with inner, weather. Floods play a conspicuous role in two of William Faulkner's novels: As I Lay Dying (1930) and Wild Palms [If I Forget Thee, Jerusalem] (1939). In the 1940s, Faulkner would continue writing about the Big River and its floodplain, and humanity's attempt to outthink it—his tone becoming increasingly and irascibly elegiac—in the final story of Go Down, Moses (1942), “Delta Autumn,” in which the protagonist describes the Delta as “This land which man has deswamped and denuded and derivered in two generations so that white men can own plantations” (347). What Ike McCaslin refers to here is a complex of anthropogenic changes such as wetlands drainage, cotton monoculture, massive deforestation by the timber industry, and the building of ever-higher levees to manage the Mississippi and its tributaries by straightening and containing their courses. The year 1954 would find Faulkner once again contemplating the Mississippi watershed. In a Holiday article on his home state, he described the periodic flooding that was made worse by these human practices, remarking how, during floods, the “Old Man” paid “none of the dykes any heed at all” as he “gather[ed] water all the way from Montana to Pennsylvania … and roll[ed] it down the artificial gut of his victims' puny and baseless hoping” (“Mississippi” 45).

Analysis of Hydrological Processes Applying the HSPF Model in Selected Watersheds in Alabama, Mississippi, and Puerto Rico

The goal of this study was to evaluate the Hydrological Simulation Program FORTRAN (HSPF) to gain more insight in the underlying causes and mechanisms of hydrological processes in an upland basin in Alabama and Mississippi (1,856-km2 Luxapallila Creek), a humid subtropical watershed in coastal Alabama (140-km2 Fish River), and a steep-slope tropical catchment in Puerto Rico (99-km2 Rio Caonillas). For each watershed model, rainfall, potential evapotranspiration, and streamflow time series from January 1999 to December 2000 were used to calibrate model parameters and 2001 time series were applied to verify model results. In each study area, actual evapotranspiration was the main mechanism of water loss followed by river discharge. Annual baseflow values ranged from 58% of total discharge in Luxapallila Creek basin to 84% of total discharge in Fish River watershed. In Luxapallila Creek and Fish River, interflow was the primary mechanism of direct runoff; however, surface runoff was the main process of direct runoff in Rio Caonillas. The HSPF model was successfully adapted to model daily streamflow processes in Luxapallila Creek basin and Rio Caonillas catchment with coefficient of determination and Nash and Sutcliffe coefficient values between 0.61 and 0.71 for the entire period; however, the Fish River watershed model performance was poor. The poor performance is likely due to the lack of rainfall time series available within the watershed boundaries. In general, this study showed the robustness of the HSPF model in extreme environments (small catchments vs. large basins, flat vs. hilly areas, low vs. moderate/high runoff potential, tropical marine vs. humid subtropical climates).

Assessing sensitivity of hydrologic responses to climate change from forested watershed in Mississippi

AbstractThe climatic processes such as changes in precipitation, temperature and atmospheric CO2 concentration can intensify the effects on water resources. An assessment of the effects of long‐term climate change on water resources is essential to the development of water quality improvement programs. This study was conducted in the Upper Pearl River Watershed (UPRW) in east‐central Mississippi to assess the effects of long‐term potential future climate change on average mean monthly stream flow from the five spatially distributed U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) gage stations in the UPRW using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool. The model was calibrated (January 1981 to December 1994) and validated (January 1995 to September 2008) using monthly measured stream flow data. The calibrated and validated model determined good to very good performance for stream flow prediction (R2 and E from 0·60 to 0·86) between measured and predicted stream flow values. The root mean square error values (from 14 to 37 m3 s−1) were estimated at similar levels of errors during model calibration and validation. The results showed that long‐term (50 years) average monthly stream flow sensitivity due to climate change effects was found the greatest as a result of percentage change in the precipitation followed by carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration and temperature. The long‐term model simulation scenarios as compared with the base scenario for all five spatially distributed USGS gage stations in the UPRW estimated an average monthly stream flow decrease (from 54 to 67%) and average monthly stream flow increase (from 67 to 79%) depending on the spatial characteristics of the USGS gage stations. Overall, the results indicate that the UPRW hydrology is very sensitive to potential future climate changes and that these changes could stimulate increased streamflow generation from the watershed. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Changes in precipitation regimes over North America during the Holocene as recorded by mineralogy and geochemistry of Gulf of Mexico sediments

Changes in terrigenous-transfer patterns from North America toward the Gulf of Mexico via the Mississippi River during the Holocene were investigated using mineralogical and geochemical records from the northern Gulf of Mexico (Pigmy Basin). Clay mineralogy (smectite/illite + chlorite) and geochemical signatures (K and Ti intensities) indicate fluctuations in the detrital sedimentation during the Holocene in the Pigmy Basin. They likely reflect alternations between at least two dominant terrigenous sources: the smectite-rich NW Mississippi watershed, and the illite- and chlorite-rich Great Lakes province and NE Mississippi watershed. These recurring and rapid modifications of erosional processes over this period suggest changes in the hydrological regime via rainfall patterns. Such a modification during the Holocene is likely linked with the rapid atmospheric reorganization following the final collapse of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. Indeed, mineralogical and geochemical proxies indicate east-to-west migrations of the main detrital source (from the Great Lakes and northeastern province toward the northwestern province) associated with Mississippi River megaflood episodes. These modifications of the main detrital sources likely record migrations of the precipitation belt, which are constrained by atmospheric configuration (Jet Stream, Bermuda High and Intertropical Convergence Zone position) and subtropical oceanic hydrological properties (meridional extension of the Atlantic Warm Pool). In the frame of previously published rainfall patterns over the Caribbean and North America, our results highlight some marked modifications of moisture transfer throughout the Holocene. These changes are interpreted as resulting from two atmospheric configurations that have driven alternately the precipitation distribution over North America for the last 10 ka with an apparent cyclicity of ~ 2.5 ka. The coherent common cyclicity between the Gulf of Mexico detrital parameters and Greenland atmospheric proxies over the Holocene suggests that the initial external forcing was rapidly transferred latitudinally through atmospheric processes.

Estimation of sediment yield during storms based on soil and watershed geomorphology characteristics

Concentrated rainfall usually results in serious soil erosion on steep hillslopes. Since the itinerary of the eroded sediment is complicated, estimating watershed erosion during storms is practically difficult. A physically-based approach for sediment yield estimation during storms was proposed in this study. By using soil and watershed geomorphologic information, analytical solutions for sediment travel time in different orders of overland areas and channels were derived to develop a geomorphologic instantaneous unit sedimentgraph (GIUS) which showed the temporal distribution of sediment discharge resulting from an instantaneous rainfall excess input. The resultant GIUS was a function of the rainfall excess intensity and sediment delivery ratio. The linearity restriction of the unit hydrograph theory was relaxed. Sediment yields during storm events were calculated by convoluting rainfall intensities with the proposed GIUS, which had been verified by using data from the Goodwin Creek Experimental Watershed in Mississippi, the United States. The simulated and the measured sediment yields were in good agreement for the test storms. Sensitivity of the sedimentgraph to the model parameters was also investigated. The proposed model was considered a promising application for sediment yield estimation in the field of water resources design.

Do we know enough about controlling sediment to mitigate damage to stream ecosystems?

Stream and river ecosystems have suffered extensive degradation, and billions are expended annually on restoration efforts. However, few of these projects are monitored, and restoration effectiveness is often unknown. Consequently, there is a poor scientific foundation for restoration designs. Since many stream restoration efforts are at least partially targeted at controlling erosion of channel banks and beds, the effects of a large-scale, long-term stream erosion control effort in six Mississippi watersheds was assessed using 10–16 years of suspended sediment and water discharge records. Flow-adjusted suspended sediment concentrations showed no trends in five of the watersheds and a slight downward trend in one watershed, which was treated with small reservoirs as well as bed and bank erosion protection. Results indicate the inability of orthodox stream management structures (weirs and bank protection) to reduce watershed sediment yield and the need for a stronger scientific basis for stream restoration.

Conservation practice effects on sediment load in the Goodwin Creek Experimental Watershed

Water quality and aquatic habitat due to unstable stream channels and high sediment concentrations during storm runoff events are major environmental concerns on the 2,132 ha (5,266 ac) Goodwin Creek Experimental Watershed in north Mississippi. Effects of enrolling erodible lands in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and instream grade stabilization structures were evaluated using measured rainfall, runoff, and sediment concentration data and model simulations. Signatures of naturally occurring radionuclides indicated that 78% of the total sediment load originated from channel sources. The change of land to a CRP-like state (reducing cultivated land from 26% to 8%) reduced erosion and runoff from fields and thus decreased total sediment concentration by 63% between 1982 to 1990. Simulations using the Fluvial Routing Analysis and Modeling Environment model indicated that mean sediment yields would increase from 15% to over 200%, depending upon location in the watershed, if in-channel structures were not present. The combined effect of the grade control structures and the change of lands to a CRP-state was to reduce sediment yields by 78% near the outlet of the watershed.